Green Chile Turkey Burgers

Every once in a while I get a very specific craving for a burger. Not just the patty itself, but the bun, tomato, and the whole deal. I wanted to do something a little different this time, so came up with these super yum Green Chile Turkey Burgers, infused with green chiles, cumin, and pepper jack cheese. They did not disappoint.

These Green Chile Turkey Burgers only take about 10 minutes to mix up and then depending on how you cook them, just a few minutes more until they’re ready to eat. It doesn’t really get better than that for a quick, flavorful weeknight dinner! I topped my burger with sliced tomato and avocado, but completely forgot to buy the lettuce. The avocado slices were absolutely to die for with this burger, but are completely optional if avocados are out of season or otherwise too expensive. But you know, lettuce would be good too, I guess. :)

Green Chile Turkey Burgers

Green Chile Turkey Burgers

These Green Chile Turkey Burgers can't be beat for a fast, flavorful weeknight dinner. Ready in about 30 minutes and full of southwest flavor.

Total Cost
$11.72 recipe / $2.34 each

Prep Time10minutes

Cook Time20minutes

Total Time30minutes

Servings5

Ingredients

19 oz. pkgground turkey$4.49

4 oz. candiced green chiles, drained$0.69

1/2tspground cumin$0.05

1/4tspgarlic powder$0.02

1/4tspsalt$0.02

2-3green onions, sliced$0.13

2ozpepper jack cheese, shredded$0.61

5hamburger buns$2.91

1large tomato (optional)$0.95

1large avocado (optional)$1.50

Instructions

Place the ground turkey, green chiles (drained), sliced green onions, shredded pepper jack, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients until well combined. Divide and shape the mixture into five patties. The mixture will be fairly wet.

Cook the burgers in a skillet, on a grill, or using an indoor grill like a George Foreman, until they are cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF) and well browned on the outside. Cooking time will depend on the method, size, and thickness of your patties.

Serve each patty on a bun with a slice of tomato, a couple slices of avocado, and a smear of mayonnaise.

Recipe Notes

Step by Step Photos

These burgers are incredibly simple. You only need a few ingredients to add TONS of flavor to the ground turkey. All you need is one 19 oz. package of ground turkey, 2 oz. shredded pepper jack (about 1/2 cup), 2-3 green onions sliced, one 4 oz. can of diced green chiles (drained), 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. To measure the cheese I just cut an 8 oz. block of cheese into quarters then shredded one of them. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl…

Then mix them all together until well combined. This mixture is pretty wet thanks to the green chiles, but I was still able to form them into patties. They held together well when cooked.

Divide this mixture into five equal portions (that’s about 1/4 lb. per burger) and form them into patties.

Cook the burgers in a skillet, on a grill, or on an indoor grill like the George Foreman, until they are cooked through (internal temperature of 165ºF) and browned on the outside. I suggest using an instant read thermometer to make sure. They’re not very expensive and incredibly useful in the kitchen.

Top your Green Chili Turkey Burgers with whatever you like. I added a slice of fresh tomato, some avocado, and a light smear of mayo. SO GOOD!

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45 comments on “Green Chile Turkey Burgers”

Mine were too soggy to hold up even after I made sure to get most of the liquid out of the green chillis. I blame the ground turkey I bought. Ended up eating my scrambled turkey “burger” in a lettuce wrap with normal burger fixings like avocado, jalapenos, red onions and tomatoes. Super yum.

Made these last night! SUCH a winner. I used ground chicken (organic and raised without antibiotics was on sale, so I couldn’t pass it up) and it worked SO WELL. I topped with a slice of pepper jack instead of using shredded in the burger, and served with chipotle roasted purple sweet potato wedges (I just tossed them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder — highly recommend as a side!).
Added tomato, avocado, and a little mayo to the burger. Another winner of a recipe.

Hello, I found your site 2 1/2 weeks ago and made a list of 8 to 10 recipes to try. I made the Green Chile Turkey Burgers on first and have followed with some others that are out of my comfort zone (Asian style) dishes. After about 4 recipes my wife expressed that she didn’t know where these recipes are coming from but keep them coming. But she has mentioned these burgers over all the rest. They will be made on a more frequent basis for sure. I have on opinion based question…I was thinking of making these into meatball form with some pasta, can you think of any light gravy that could go over it? I have made some jalapeño pickle gravy before and thought maybe to try that recipe and sub out the pickles for chopped green chile’s? Any opinion?

Putting these on my next meal plan, but I’m planning to sub ground beef because I just can’t even with the ground turkey. Idk what it is…I think maybe the smell of it? But I’ve wanted to try this recipe forever because the flavors sound great!

Hi! I’m Beth

As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Join me for delicious recipes designed for small budgets. More »